Minneapolis/St. Paul Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Representing Victims of Sexual Assault in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities

The act of sexually assaulting any person is outrageous and intolerable. The gravity of the betrayal is multiplied when the employer and supervisors of the perpetrator deny and attempt to cover up their employee’s crime. Sadly, sexual abuse does occur at Minnesota nursing homes and Minnesota assisted living facilities far more than most people realize. These horrendous acts threaten the physical safety and mental well-being of the victims. In some cases, the damage can be life-threatening. The abuse must stop now.

At the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, our compassionate Minneapolis nursing home abuse attorneys fight for the rights of those who need comprehensive health care services. We hold bad acting nursing homes and healthcare providers liable for their misconduct. If you believe that your vulnerable loved one was the victim of sexual misconduct, please contact our team today for immediate legal assistance.

The Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse

One of the most disturbing aspects of healthcare sexual abuse is that it is notoriously difficult to catch. The victims are some of society’s most vulnerable members. Indeed, some of them are completely incapable of directly communicating the fact that despicable acts have been perpetrated upon them. Others, while capable of communication, are too ashamed to tell their family members of the abuse. Still other victims are even threatened or coerced into keeping quiet.

To protect your elderly or vulnerable loved one, it is imperative that you keep your eyes open and always watch for any of the potential warning signs of abuse. Should you see any of the warning signs, it is critically important that you follow up on the issue to ensure that everything is fine. Some of the most common warning signs of healthcare sexual abuse include:

• Blood stains on clothes and bed sheets
• Wounds or bleeding in the genital area
• Ripped or stained undergarments
• Bruising on the inner thighs
• Transmission of sexual diseases or infections
• Unexplained fear or anxiety around a specific staff member
• General signs of depression or withdrawnness

Nursing Homes and Assisted Care Facilities are Responsible for Their Employees

In most cases, sexual abuse in Minnesota nursing homes or assisted living facilities is committed by a single individual. While this is not always the case, typically the preparator that committed the heinous act does so alone. However, this fact does not mean that the facility itself is absolved of wrongdoing. Quite the contrary. Nursing homes and healthcare providers are always legally responsible for the actions of their employees.

To start, the owners and operators of these facilities have a duty to conduct proper background checks and screening to keep dangerous people away from patients. Beyond that, these facilities should always be keeping a close watch on all staff members to ensure that no bad actions occur. Finally, and disturbingly, there have been many cases reported in which a nursing home discovers sexual abuse and tries to cover up the issue to protect their own reputation. In all of these cases, healthcare providers must be held accountable for the full extent of their misconduct. Family members of the victims should not hesitate to bring a legal claim against the facility.

Victims Deserve Full and Fair Compensation

Victims of nursing home sexual abuse are entitled to recover compensation for the full extent of their damages. As with all legal cases, victims must be able to prove their damages to actually recover fair compensation. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be challenging in sexual abuse cases. As such, it is imperative that victims work with an attorney who has the skills and experience needed to help them maximize their recovery. At the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, we are committed to holding these wrongdoers accountable. We help our clients seek recovery for:

• Relocation costs
• Any other monetary losses
• Medical bills
• Mental health treatment
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

Additionally, as nursing home sexual abuse is an especially heinous and outrageous act, we fight to impose punitive damages on wrongdoers. While punitive damages are awarded to the victim, the purpose of these damages is to punish bad actions and to deter others from engaging in this reprehensible conduct in our community.

Our Plymouth, MN Sexual Abuse Attorneys Can Help

At the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, we represent clients who have been sexually assaulted in nursing homes and other care facilities. Exposing and punishing wrongdoers who deliberately disregard the rights and safety of others is necessary to deter repeat behavior and to deter others from engaging in similar behavior.

If you believe that your vulnerable loved one was the victim of sexual abuse in a Minnesota nursing home, our sexual abuse attorneys in Plymouth, MN are standing by, ready to help. To schedule a free, no obligation initial legal consultation, please do not hesitate to contact our team today by calling (763) 225-2695 or emailing us directly online. From our office in Plymouth, we represent nursing home abuse victims in Minneapolis, St. Paul and throughout the state of Minnesota.